On Having the Right Academic Credentials

Historian Tom Woods here discusses his kerfuffle with Indiana University when a student group wanted him to speak on his book regarding the recent economic crisis. The university initially said no on the advice of academics who sniffed that Woods does not have the right credentials to discuss that subject. Fortunately, the students did not back down and the talk (recounted in the piece) occurred. The infuriating thing about this is the academic mindset that only people who have the right sort of degree can possibly know anything about a subject; others should be kept away from students.